Friday, December 11, 2015

Santa Luzia island



Santa Luzia is a small island of 34 km² in area located within the Windward Group (Ilhas do Barlavento) of islands. It lies 8 km southeast from the island of São Vicente (visible at the top-right in this image) and 29 km northwest from São Nicolau. The smaller islands of Ilhéu Branco and Ilhéu Raso (7 km²) are located midway between Santa Luzia and São Nicolau, being located 7 km south and 15 km to the southeast, respectively. The island of Santa Luzia is a paradise for travelers who want to get off the beaten track and experience total privacy. As home to some of Africa’s rarest and most diverse forms of wildlife, it is a perfect venture for hikers, bird-watchers and explorers. At just 35 square kilometers, Santa Luzia is the smallest of Cape Verde’s 10 islands. It was completely uninhabited until the 17th century, when it was used for raising livestock. A small community of farmers lived there during the 1960s, but by the 1990s the island was once again completely deserted.

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